can birds fly without the presence of wind?

Question

was just wondering.

Answer 1

The answer is Yes.

When a bird flaps it's wings, the motion pushes them forward and like the propeller of an airplane and the curved shape of their wing creates lift (link below for details). I think of it as swimming in the air. Wind is not necessary though it can make flying easier for them. Have you ever seen someone's pet parakeet fly around inside their house?

Aloha

Answer 2

There are several species of birds that require a headwind, or a running start (to essentially generate their own wind) in order to take off.

This is especially true with large, heavy birds, who are near the limit of their wing load. Large geese and swans often require a run-up to get airborne. Albatross, frigate-birds, and gannets need strong headwinds in order to generate enough lift to take off. There is some hilarious footage out there of young albatross using the abandoned runways on Midway island during their attempts to learn to fly - they run and run and run, and as often as not, they wipe out before they get into the air.

Some of the large, soaring birds like condors and the larger vultures require not just headwinds, but also thermal updrafts in order to maintain flight. Especially when they are loaded down after gorging themselves at some rotting carcass. Without strong winds and high heat over the plains they cannot fly at all. It's likely that some of the larger pterosaurs, like Quetzacoatlus probably had the same limitations on their flight abilities.

Other birds, of course, who are much lighter and have much lower loads per square centimeter of their wing area are able to instantly achieve flight regardless of whether or not they have a headwind. Hummingbirds, chickadees, sparrows and many others can simply spring into the air. Strong winds may actually hinder their flight abilities as the little, light birdies are thrown about by winds that are stronger than they are. So on really blustery days, they may not fly at all.

Answer 3

Yes, but actually getting up into the air is more difficult but once they are up they use the heat currents to glide. It is easier to gain lift when flying into the wind because they don't have to beat their wings as hard. Birds don't tend to take off with the wind behind them because the force of the wind forces them into the ground.

Answer 4

wind is moving air. the air must move relative to the bird when it flaps OR when it glides, so in this sense, there must be wind for the bird. however, if the wind for everyone is blowing at 10mph, the bird will fly faster with the wind (tailwind), and slower against the wind (headwind). The observer of the bird will get his or her hair ruffled in the second case, but not in the first.

Answer 5

In short, yes.

Regardless of whether or not the wind is moving, there is still air present... assuming you are not talking about a bird in a vacuum.

So, the bird flaps it's wings and creates air movement.

Answer 6

In short yes. Simply they can fly because air, like everything else has mass. More simply Birds use their wings to push against this mass and achieve flight. It is also how they glide.
Just like when we walk or run and push against the ground(the mass in this case).

Answer 7

Yes.
There is no such thing as no wind really, as there is always air movement and flow to some degree.
The bird's own movement through the air is enough to create lift with its wings.

Answer 8

They can fly with the wind ,against it and across it so I guess it's pretty safe to assume they can do it if there is none.

Answer 9

Yes. They create their own wind and lift with their wings.

Answer 10

Yes. It's fun to watch them try to fly against a strong headwind but they do it.